Gadling

Here at Gadling, we're really obsessed with getting the best possible seat (check out Grant's series on getting better seats). And for the price you pay -- which is just a coach ticket -- there's nothing better than an exit row seat.

Why? Well, first there's the no-crying-babies rule (you have to be at least 15 years old). Then there's the super-sized legroom and first out the door priority in an emergency ... just kidding, sorta. The downside is most exit row seats don't recline, though on Jetblue, I believe most do.

There's several ways to maximize your chances of getting exit row seats: book early, get elite status (in which case you get first dibs), book online and use the seat selector, even pay for one.

But the best trick by far is to use the airline's 24-hour online check-in. You see, most exit seats are held by the airline until 24 hours before departure. So what you should do is jump online right at that point, and chances are, those coveted seats will be yours.

Filed under: Airlines